6

There are two reasons why I became friends with that "Earth fanatic."

First, she started talking to me directly.

I rarely speak to others first unless they approach me.

This is largely because I never saw a reason to expand my social network, whether it would help me or not.

Connections require maintenance, and the more people you know, the more bothersome that maintenance becomes.

I originally didn't intend to befriend an alien, but the "Earth fanatic" persistently kept talking to me.

"You have the potential to become an idol."

I have no idea where she got that confidence to say something like that.

Honestly, it was probably a thoughtless remark.

There are people like that, aren't there?

The type who says, "My dream is to make foreign friends!"

I guess I looked like the easiest Earthling peer in our group to approach, so she just said whatever came to mind.

The second reason is that we live in almost the same neighborhood.

I say "almost the same" because we don't live in the exact same area.

It's more like the next neighborhood over.

She must've ended up here while looking for cheap rent, just like me.

Since our paths home often overlapped after work, we inevitably ended up talking more.

Although I've often been told I seem sharp or aloof, I'm actually bad at rejecting people.

If it were someone I'd never see again, maybe.

But cutting off someone I see regularly? That's not something I could do.

Not that I dislike it or anything…

But she's not someone I'd want to show off to my other friends either.

For one, we're connected through work, and more importantly—her personality.

"By the way."

Ha-yoon's friend, who had been scanning me as if searching for a weakness, glanced at the Earth fanatic clinging to my shoulder.

"Did you have a drink today? You seem quite cheerful."

Surprisingly, that was true—though it was just "a drink."

And without any dessert, too.

"Of course! There was something worth celebrating!"

Seeing the slight curl of her lips, it felt like she thought she had caught me.

"Oh, so you were drinking in the daytime?" As if.

We're both high school students, after all.

Well, strictly speaking, the Earth fanatic did engage in something illegal by her home planet's standards.

But since they wouldn't find out, it wasn't an issue here.

I glanced at Ha-yoon.

She was still looking at me with wide eyes.

I had turned down her Christmas invitation, but we didn't have any plans today.

Was she surprised to find out I had a friend she didn't know about?

"Well… I've heard that people from other planets are sometimes allowed to drink from a young age.

But that doesn't mean we should do the same, right?"

"I didn't drink."

I shifted my gaze to the Earth fanatic, who was buzzing around Ha-yoon like a mosquito.

"Then how are you drunk?"

"Coffee."

"Coffee?"

"Yeah, coffee. She gets drunk on coffee."

The problem with this explanation is that plenty of people on Earth use excuses like this.

Even though the population isn't entirely mixed yet, the number of intelligent life forms in the galaxy is said to be around 1.5 trillion.

That's according to the Galactic Federation, which counts beings capable of space travel.

Earth hasn't fully joined the Galactic Federation yet, and the number of aliens allowed to visit is limited.

But it's still common to see them, like foreign tourists.

While tourists visiting Seoul often crowd areas like Jongno or Myeong-dong for the shopping and cultural experience, aliens are different.

For them, anywhere on Earth is "Earth."

They enjoy the entirely different atmosphere of the planet wherever they go.

Naturally, excuses also vary, and some Earthlings latch onto them to justify illegal activities.

"Do you want to smell it?"

I asked.

She grimaced.

"Stop making excuses—"

"Wait a second."

Before she could counter, Ha-yoon stepped forward.

Her boots crunched softly against the snow.

"Ji-eun, I'm sorry."

I racked my brain for a scathing yet curse-free retort that might earn me praise later, but Ha-yoon spoke before I could.

"You're from Kifuren, right?"

Hearing Ha-yoon's question, the Earth fanatic looked up at her, startled.

"Uh?"

Her eyes blinked, processing her words.

Then they widened.

"Bl-Blossom!?"

She suddenly straightened as if her caffeine fog had lifted.

This is exactly why I avoid running into her.

Of course, being an "Earth fanatic," she's also a fan of magical girls.

And Blossom happens to be the most popular of them all.

Though she never said it directly, I wouldn't be surprised if she chose this cheap neighborhood because it was close to Blossom's.

"Hello, are you a friend of Ji-eun's?

She's never mentioned having friends outside school."

Well, I rarely talk about myself.

If I did, she might learn I live in an orphanage or that I'm a soldier for an evil organization.

"Huh? Yes? Yes!"

The Earth fanatic alternated between looking at me and Ha-yoon, seemingly trying to piece things together.

Was it just my imagination, or was she moving faster than usual?

"I'm Ha-yoon, Ji-eun's schoolmate."

"Oh, yes, yes."

The Earth fanatic nodded vigorously, as though her vocabulary had been reduced to "oh" and "yes."

"We met while working part-time together."

As soon as those words left her mouth, my heart raced.

Knowing how oblivious she usually acts, I feared she might slip up.

"Oh, I see."

Ha-yoon's gaze flicked briefly to me.

I've never told her I worked part-time.

Seriously.

Never.

In fact, after entering high school, I'd avoided talking about my personal life with Ha-yoon almost entirely.

Not that it was entirely my fault.

Both of us had gotten busier.

Her college prep and art club had picked up, and I had my own battles to fight.

Still, I felt a bit guilty, so I averted my eyes.

"Of course, caffeine has never been illegal in our country," Ha-yoon said gently.

"But overindulgence might lead to trouble, don't you think?

You might run into someone from your planet by chance."

Even if they're from the same planet, they could be from another country.

Still, the possibility wasn't zero, given that her planet allowed travel here.a

"Y-yes!"

Ha-yoon nodded slowly, offering her a warm smile.

"Um, excuse me!"

The Earth fanatic suddenly exclaimed.

"Yes?"

Startled, Ha-yoon turned to her.

She quickly rummaged through her coat and pulled out a notebook and pen.

Oh no.

My face nearly twisted in horror when I realized what it was.

She handed them to Ha-yoon.

That's a soldier's notebook.

It's filled with work schedules, checklists, and even detachable "letters to the heart."

It's not the kind of thing you show to others.

Fortunately, the cover was blank, and the first few pages were just lined notes.

Ha-yoon, unaware of its true nature, casually accepted it and signed.

[Happy Cherry Blossom]

Not her name, but the magical girl's.

"What should I write?"

Ha-yoon asked kindly with a smile.

"Ah, um, then just 'Pang Pang,' please."

This was precisely why I avoided calling her by her name in public.

If I did, everyone would assume it was some kind of pet name.

However, Ha-yoon, true to her Galactic Federation background, didn't mind at all.

She signed "Pang Pang!" with a flourish and handed the pen and notebook back to the Earth fanatic.

The Earth fanatic's eyes sparkled as she stared at the signature.

"Thank you! I'll treasure it forever as an heirloom!" she shouted.

"Oh, no, you don't need to go that far…"

Ha-yoon replied, looking a bit flustered, and bowed deeply toward her.

"Eh!?"

The Earth fanatic turned an even deeper shade of blue than usual at Ha-yoon's unexpected gesture.

"Please take care of Ji-eun."

"Huh? Uh, yes?"

The Earth fanatic's language skills seemed to regress once more.

Watching this, I felt slightly annoyed.

Ha-yoon is… a good person.

In fact, all magical girls are inherently good.

Even Iris, despite her twisted personality, never crossed the line of using her powers to harm others.

Her innate nature remained kind.

Among them, Ha-yoon's goodness shone particularly bright—something I knew well, having been her childhood friend.

But.

"A-ah, yeah…"

Whether she sensed something off or was sobering up from the caffeine, the Earth fanatic's reply grew somewhat awkward.

Yes, Ha-yoon is good.

So good, in fact, that she feels a sense of responsibility to look after those she considers even slightly… lacking.

Not that she openly categorizes people—it's not in her nature to think that way.

It's more of a compulsion, possibly influenced by her family.

Whether it's about money, intelligence, or athletic ability, Ha-yoon takes it upon herself to care for those in need.

And that's why she's so popular.

Some might say her personality makes her an easy target for teasing, but who in their right mind would pick a fight with a magical girl?

Especially when Iris also attends our school.

That said, Ha-yoon's well-meaning attitude can be… a bit frustrating.

Especially when I'm the target of her care.

It's also the main reason I've kept my history with the orphanage tightly under wraps.

"Well then… Happy New Year," Ha-yoon said.

The Earth fanatic's face lit up again, any lingering awkwardness vanishing into thin air.

"Yes, Happy New Year!"

For some reason, her excitement seemed to inflate the ego of the person standing next to Ha-yoon.

It's probably some form of misguided patriotism.

After all, the Galactic Federation's contact with Earth had bruised the pride of many Earthlings.

There are even aliens who openly discriminate against Earthlings.

"And Ji-eun, you too."

"I'll call you."

"Alright, make sure you do."

Ha-yoon smiled at me and waved as she turned back to her path.

We each resumed walking in our respective directions, but Ha-yoon glanced back at me several times.

And since I saw her doing so, I naturally did the same.

"You know Blossom personally?"

After walking in silence for a while, the Earth fanatic suddenly asked.

"Did I not mention it?"

"Not at all."

"Yeah, we're friends."

"You should've said so earlier!"

"And this is exactly why I didn't."

"That's so mean!"

If I told her, she'd immediately beg me to introduce them.

It's surprisingly aggravating.

No matter what, I want to maintain my friendship with Ha-yoon.

I have no intention of exploiting it.

Someday, when I graduate and start working, there will be fewer instances where I feel like I'm being accommodated.

Maybe then I'll reveal that I grew up in an orphanage.

By that time, I'll have quit being a soldier, and there'll be no need to bring it up.

It might not make our relationship entirely equal, but at least it'll feel more like a real friendship.

"Hey, I have a favor to ask~"

"No."

"You won't even listen!?"

Without hearing her out, I cut her off.

I'm sure she's going to ask for help collecting magical girl autographs.

That's one of the main reasons she's here on Earth.

And it's precisely that "fanatic streak" that keeps her obsessed.

Aliens who come to Earth thinking humans are a peaceful, cultured, and art-loving species without magic usually end up going home disillusioned.

It's better if they're just fans of specific idols or magical girls.

"And you can walk home on your own now, right? Go home."

"Ugh."

My words must have been a shock; the Earth fanatic stumbled slightly.

*

"…"

Ha-yoon and her friend continued walking for a while in silence.

Ha-yoon, as always, wore an expression that seemed incapable of grasping the concept of "offended."

She rarely found people unpleasant, and even when she did, she never expressed it openly.

People see her as outgoing, gentle, and kind, but that's a complete misconception.

For some reason, people gravitate toward her and expect things from her.

It's only recently that Ha-yoon started realizing that part of the reason is her "magical girl" identity.

Even earlier, that "Pang Pang" from Kifuren acted that way.

She was practically incoherent until she recognized Ha-yoon's face, which instantly changed her behavior.

How did those two even end up together?

While Earth has its fair share of aliens, becoming close friends with one is no small feat.

It's not just a "cultural difference"; the gap runs far deeper.

Take that blue-faced alien, for instance. Who gets drunk on caffeine?

If an Earthling encountered that for the first time in a café, they'd be terrified.

Kifuren people become much noisier when intoxicated—like shouting at the top of their lungs in a café.

"Hey, Ha-yoon?"

"Hm?"

It wasn't until her friend called her that Ha-yoon blinked, suddenly aware of how strained her eyes felt.

"Is it because of those two earlier?"

"Huh?"

What is she talking about?

As Ha-yoon looked at her friend, the latter smiled knowingly.

"I thought so. That guy has no idea how lucky she is to know someone as amazing as you."

"… "

Ha-yoon didn't respond immediately.

"Clinging to some weird alien, no less."

Ah, so that's what she meant.

Ha-yoon realized that her friend still didn't fully understand how close she and Ji-eun were.

Or perhaps, she couldn't even imagine it.

This was especially true after entering high school.

Back in middle school, they'd attended the same school as many of their elementary classmates.

But their high school required a bus ride, so the social dynamic had reset.

Now, people assumed they were closer to Ha-yoon than Ji-eun was.

What should she say?

Ha-yoon felt a little conflicted.

She liked Ji-eun.

From childhood, Ji-eun had always listened to her calmly, no matter what she said.

And that wasn't all.

Ji-eun, though she didn't realize it herself, was incredibly thoughtful.

She could only imagine what nonsense that alien spouted in the café.

From Galactic Federation materials, she'd read about the types of crimes "drunken Kifuren" committed—not much different from human crimes fueled by excessive alcohol.

If it had escalated to a crime, the alien would've been deported.

But Ji-eun sat and listened to that "Pang Pang" ramble until the end—even offering her shoulder.

Ha-yoon would never have done something like that.

How could you behave like that toward a close friend?

Oh, right.

It wasn't that simple.

"Honestly, there's something about her I don't like."

And what would you do about it if you didn't?

People aren't so easily changed just because you don't like them.

"Her uniform's always messy, she doesn't seem to have many friends. Don't you think so?"

Ha-yoon couldn't bring herself to answer.

Right.

Earlier, when this girl said those things, Ha-yoon couldn't interrupt.

It was too hard for her to confront someone face-to-face.

So, in the end, wasn't she just as much of a burden?

At least that alien wouldn't have said such things to Ji-eun.

How did I end up walking with her again?

I had only stepped outside briefly, then ran into her by chance…

I shouldn't have come out.

Tuning out her friend's self-important chatter, Ha-yoon wandered in regretful thought.